Travel
Outdoors: The North Cascade Institute’s New Slate of 2011 Programs
North Cascades Institute Launches 2011 Programs
This week the North Cascades Institute, which is celebrating its 25th year conserving and protecting Northwest environments through experiential outdoor education, announced an exciting slate of learning programs and field excursions as part of its 2011 schedule. This year the Institute made a special effort to bring back some of its favorite field instructors from its…
Road Trip to Enumclaw Chocolate Festival
Savor locally crafted chocolates and wines at the third annual Wine and Chocolate Festival.
Where Enumclaw for the third annual Wine and Chocolate Festival (2/4–2/5; Enumclaw Expo Center, 45224 284th Ave. SE; enumclawchocolatefestival.com). Why: This year’s event features an indulgent lineup of locally made truffles and flavored chocolates, plus pours from 22 Washington wineries. Pair for the course: Savor salted caramels from Newcastle-based Sweet Decadence and sip a Merlot…
Gray Weather Survival Guide
The sky may be gray, but that’s no reason to feel blue. We’ve come up with plenty of ways to survive
The sky may be gray, but that’s no reason to feel blue. We’ve come up with plenty of ways to survive—and thrive—during our long winter nights and rainy days. 1. Play ball! This town’s big on pinball—thanks to our weather, and because we’re a little geeky, says Larry Reid, curator at Fantagraphics Bookstore and Gallery…
Day Trip: Kent
Take note, urbanites. There is civilization south of Ikea. Thanks to the draw of Kent Station mall,
Take note, urbanites. There is civilization south of Ikea. Thanks to the draw of Kent Station mall, the busy ShoWare Center and a newly remodeled library, old town Kent has amped up its charm. The four-block stretch running from First to Fourth avenues, between Meeker and Titus streets, is lined with antique shops, restaurants, quaint…
Road Trip: Portland, Oregon
Portland says come on down and have a beer
Where: Portland, Oregon, for the 2010 Holiday Ale Festival (12/1–12/5; $20-$25; holidayale.com) in Pioneer Courthouse Square. Why: To clink beer mugs in a microbrew mecca, where 45 breweries from the Northwest and beyond—including Widmer Bros. Brewing Co., Cascade Brewing and Alaskan Brewing Co.—offer tastes of holiday hops accented with wintry whiffs of cranberries, raspberries and…
Best Camping Spots: Occupational Hazards
Avid hiker Kristen Russell wants to be sure you know a few things before camping in the Northwest.
WeatherNo matter the forecast, in the Northwest you must be prepared for rain. That crazy nylon sheet that came with your tent—the one covered with toggles and cords and pulleys—is called a rain fly. Use it! And don’t skip the tarp under your tent; if you do, you could wake up to see your flashlight…
Best Camping Spots: Vamping
The Eurovan is the ground-averse camper's silver bullet.
When my husband, Daniel, and I go camping for the weekend, there are no tents involved. We do not drag Therm-a-Rests or tarps out of the garage; we do not strap carefully rolled sleeping bags onto backpacks. Instead, we pile into our VW Eurovan and head for nearby wilderness to experience a night or two…
Best Camping Spots: Roughing It
The Northwest offers myriad ways to commune with nature, but nothing surpasses sleeping outdoors.
Salt Creek A Family AffairWhere: North side of the Olympic Peninsula on the Strait of Juan de FucaBest For: Base-camp adventuring, tide pooling and family-friendly camping Sea stars, swimming and s’mores, oh my! Salt Creek Recreation Area off State Route 112 on the north side of the Olympic Peninsula has a wealth of options for family…
Sage Advice for Camping with Children
Camping with kids presents special problems, so we asked a family-camping expert for some answers.
Should I buy my child a special ergonomic telescoping titanium trekking pole? Only if you hate nature. There is no way that pole is not going to be used to whack the crap out of trailside vegetation (and probably your ankles and your child’s little brother). Balance is a learned skill—let them learn it! Save the…
Best Camping Spots: Not-so-Roughing It
In case sleeping on the ground is more than you can stomach.
GLAMPINGStructurally, it might not be so different from the accommodations at that overnight camp you went to as a kid, but, nowadays, staying in a canvas-walled platform tent is referred to as “glamping” (short for glamorous camping)—at least as far as us pampered grownups are concerned. And pampered you will be if you get your…
Road Trip: Long Beach Peninsula
Everybody into the bog! It's cranberry time.
WHERE: Long Beach Peninsula, for the 89th annual Cranberrian Fair, October 9–10. WHY: It’s harvest season for the deliciously tart bog-dwelling berries, of which Washington is the nation’s fifth-largest producer (who knew!). At the Cranberry Museum in Long Beach (cranberrymuseum.com), revelers can check out a 10-acre demonstration bog, witness the harvesting process and browse the…
Orcas Island
A new gourmet restaurants helmed by famous foodies
WHY: To dine at two new gourmet restaurants helmed by famous foodies. Lisa Nakamura, former chef at The Herbfarm, is taking a seasonal approach at Allium (shown above, 310 Main St.; 360.376.4904; alliumonorcas.com) in the Eastsound space formerly known as Christina’s (the magnificent waterfront view remains). Chef Madden Surbaugh, late of the acclaimed Steps Wine…
Road Trip: Cannon Beach
Soak in the sun at Surfs and in Cannon Beach
Cannon BeachWhere: Surfsand Resort, in Cannon Beach, Oregon. Why: For a laid-back, luxe family getaway. Kids Love: The indoor pool, sand toys, crafts, scavenger hunts and a different treat each night at turndown (such as a lei or a plastic beach ball). Adults Love: The newly remodeled suites with soaking tubs, fireplaces, decks overlooking the…